Closing of Vietnam Maritime Forum 2026: Cooperation as a measure of Vietnam’s new capabilities

Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong deliveres the closing speech at the Vietnam Marime Forum 2026. (Photo: Thanh Long)

In his closing remarks at the Forum, Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Manh Cuong stressed that the Forum had completed its proposed agenda, with 20 presentations focusing on two questions raised at the Opening Session: how can cooperation and international integration contribute to the implementation of Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW, and how can Vietnam enhance its role and contribution in shaping the maritime space of the region and the world.

Previously, the Forum conducted a High-Level Orientation Session and three parallel thematic sessions, focusing on mobilising resources and strengthening international connectivity; marine science, technology, and governance; and local international cooperation linked with environmental protection and promoting the value of coastal communities. The three thematic sessions were chaired by Dr. Can Van Luc, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Chu Hoi, and Professor Dr. Tu Thi Loan, respectively.

Cooperation must lead to capacity

“Through today's discussions, a clear requirement has emerged: international cooperation must be transformed into our own capacity,” Deputy Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong stressed. Capital, technology, and knowledge from abroad only become maritime strength when they help form teams, data, processes, and self-operating capabilities domestically.

“The measure of cooperation does not lie in the number of agreements signed, but in what capacity Vietnam gains after each program concludes,” the Deputy Minister emphasised.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong hopes that exchanges at the Forum will help form additional research programs, policy proposals, and cooperation projects with partners. (Photo: Thanh Long)

From positional advantage to concrete contributions

“The advantage of position on the regional maritime map is a condition, not a result. Position only truly becomes status when it is transformed into specific contributions and functions that Vietnam can effectively undertake,” the Deputy Minister said.

This could be a reliable marine data source, a stable operational link even in uncertain conditions, or a scientifically grounded voice in ocean governance processes. “Such contributions are valuable to the region. Because they are valuable, they also help expand Vietnam's cooperation space and choices when the external environment changes.”

Transforming cooperation into strength, status, for peace, stability, cooperation, and development

“Despite approaching from different angles, today's discussions show that international cooperation needs to contribute to enhancing domestic capacity; and from that capacity, Vietnam can make more practical contributions to the region and the international community,” the Deputy Minister said, while reiterating the direction stated at the Opening Session: a stronger Vietnam in terms of the maritime nation must also be a Vietnam that contributes more to peace, cooperation, and sustainable development.

The Deputy Minister hopes that exchanges at the Forum will help form additional research programs, policy proposals, and cooperation projects with partners. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will absorb the opinions at the Forum, coordinate with ministries, sectors, and localities to compile recommendations for submission to competent authorities, serving the implementation of Resolution No. 20-NQ/TW. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also connect specific proposals with interested partners and coordinate research to make the Vietnam Maritime Forum an annual event.

“A strong maritime nation is not built solely on its own resources, nor solely on external resources. It is built on the ability to transform,” Deputy Minister Nguyen Manh Cuong emphasised. Cooperation opens up resources and opportunities, while capacity determines how much of that can be transformed into Vietnam's own strength. That strength only truly creates status when Vietnam contributes practical, sustainable values to the region and the international community.

The Vietnam Maritime Forum 2026 is organized by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV).

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